Citizens' participation - as a decision-making factor at local level

Abstract

Citizens' participation in decision-making processes is a key element of achieving democracy at central and local level, ensuring transparency and contributing to holding public officials accountable for decisions taken. The effectiveness of participatory democracy implies simultaneous and mandatory observance of the principles of information, consultation and transparency of the decision-making process. Participatory democracy involves citizens' participation in public decision-making; citizens' control over spending public money; public consultation of civil society as a whole. Participation is a mechanism of representation, a means by which governors are informed about the preferences and needs of the public. The purpose of involving citizens in the decision-making process at local level involves providing citizens with quality services and services necessary for citizens, improving the content of decisions developed by local authorities, as well as orienting the activity of local public authorities towards citizens' needs and increasing citizens' credibility towards local public authorities, through the effort of representatives of local public authorities to give their mandate vigour and efficiency.